Hailing from Norway, a country rich of Nordic heritage, culture, and mythology, comes forth this three piece consisting of Ares and Vrolok of Gorgoroth alongside with Morrigan from Obtained Enslavement. Together as a trio, they've composed the best well-composed etudes that has a forest-like atmosphere to ever exist in the Black Metal world. Words can not justify this band, although I will try to elaborate their concepts. Aeternus’ ideas focuses more on the darker and gloomier side of Norway. By that, I’m referring to the beliefs of being one with nature, Wiccanism. Aeternus, being a very nationalistic band, expresses these ideas through the music by focusing their production more on the music itself rather having the more aesthetical elements, such as the bass drums, dominant over everything else. The music isn’t as complex as opposed to their peers like Emperor and Mayhem though Aeternus keeps the music simple to get their music across. The members are all talented individuals where each instruments a re equalized at the right levels to create that right atmosphere they have achieved in this album. Musically, Aeternus also uses some elements found in brutal death metal and doom bands such as thick and heavy distortion, haunting-like yet powerful growls and highs, and continuous double bass drums. Add these elements along with folk and classical influences and you will truly experience modern Norwegian folk in it’s most heaviest and darkest form. Aeternus uses a lot of variety of instruments ranging from acoustic guitars, piano, female vocals, to a Celtic harp. Both keyboard and acoustic passages are wisely balanced to show the interaction of these instruments to the very depressive background. Layer these ideas again with gloomy melodies and dark harmonies and together, Aeternus has composed probably one of the heaviest and most trancing black metal albums to date. If listened properly, this album will take the listener into a deep journey within their mind and takes off into the realm this trio has conceptualized through their intense and massive sound and mood changes. With this release, Aeternus has simply made the state of depression into such an exotic and a beautiful feeling. Both fans of extreme black metal and death metal will definitely appreciate this album.

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